Hero Of The Day
by Raidou The 16th
Summary: The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. There is both joy and wonder in coming to understand another. What does it take to know you better? Just say the price, and Yu Narukami will pay that and much more to get to the soul behind your eyes. Persona 4, with a different Yu that just wants to know people better. R&R, enjoy.
1. The More Of You That I Inspect

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed. There is both joy and wonder in coming to understand one another._

* * *

I couldn't believe I had just helped someone out of a trash can.

The guy's name was Yosuke, and he seemed to be pretty cool, failures apart. I didn't think I'd seen worse than that...? Well, made for a reason to remember the guy, I supposed. After I introduced myself, he said he'd treat me to some food. Excellent. Free meals.

Getting to class, I met the other part of the little circle: Two girls, Chie and Yukiko. I'd say they were the opposite of one another, in some ways. But they were fun to watch.

Yukiko was the more distant between the two. The girl became red every time the conversation turned towards herself as a person, and Chie knew that well. Going back home with the two girls was a cool moment, but at that moment I thought that was the most I'd see of Yukiko for a long time, mainly because she was busy. And, well, maybe I'd be spending most of my afternoons with Chie and Yosuke, as it happened that day.

We went to Junes and sat on a table, after Chie hopped on the freeloader train by guilt tripping Yosuke. Fun talks, the guy had a crush.

What do you mean Midnight Channel? That was the most stupid urban legend I'd heard, and I'd heard quite a bit of them.

Oh, well. No harm trying it. Never any harm bringing conversation topics to the next day.

Why, that worked.

And I'd gained more voices in my head. And that time they hurt.

My hand could then go through screens, and my head hurt for reasons more than booming voices saying 'I am thou'. Great.

And explained that to the others how, again? Was that normal? I couldn't even.

I told them the next day. Of course they laughed at me. But it was true, dammit. I'd show them.

And show them I did.

The real story began then.

A place... a weird place filled with fog. Not much could be seen clearly.

And no exit in sight.

The general consensus was to keep walking forward through the fog to look for an exit.

As much as it looked like I was worried about surviving, I was more intrigued by the feeling that place gave me.

The fog in that place... I could tell that the world for Chie and Yosuke went as far as their voices could reach, and nothing past that. They wanted nothing else but to stay together and leave together.

I wasn't bound by that.

The fog had the exact opposite effect on me. The things I couldn't see made me feel so small... but it was strange. There was so much to be found, so much to be explored... but not in the same way as one would feel in the real world, no.

Maybe, just maybe, I'd find what I'd searched for God knows how long there.

...

We'd reached a room with a lot of posters with their faces torn off. It was a regular hotel room, save for the posters, the blood, and the chair under a hanging noose.

Chie and Yosuke were horrified by that.

I wasn't. For one reason.

I could feel something... someone else's feelings.

Hate. Disgust, animosity, jealousy... negativity. I practically taste it on my tongue.

And I didn't dislike it. It was so close, so touchable, so real... It told a story. A story about someone.

Somehow, I thought I knew someone better. And that was priceless. Only thing I could wish for more than that was to help that person. For more reasons than one might think.

Not that either of the two would see me smiling about that. As far as they were concerned, I was just as scared as them.

We left the room, sadly. Well, not really. I didn't exactly want to die, either, it was just that I was having a bit of fun.

We met a strange figure... a bear. A big, round plushy bear that moved and talked on its own. We were on a world beyond the screen of a TV, not much would move me to despair, anymore. Showed me there was a lot ore to the world than we thought.

More discoveries to be made. All reserved for those who had this single gift of going through the screen of a TV. I had no way of knowing how many there were, but hey. I still felt special. Being able to set foot into a land where I could get in touch with such deep feelings was a surreal experience for me. I just feel sorry I ended up dragging two uninterested people with me.

The bear let us out, we came back to the real world. As expected, Chie and Yosuke wanted to forget that day more than anything.

I didn't.

We split, each one going to their houses.

I kept that experience for myself and thought more about it.

I gathered the images, the message that world tried to pass me and delved into that world. Not the one inside the TV, the one that person was living in.

What brought that about? What was the reason for such hatred? Why did that bring about such feelings? How, when, what, why, why, why?

I was really sorry that person... that announcer had to die without sorting that out. Or she did sort that out... I'd no way of knowing.

Maybe I really felt sorry for not taking part on sorting her out.

...

Yosuke's crush had died the same mysterious way that announcer did.

He said the world inside the TV had to do with her death and wanted to go back in there to investigate.

Chie was extremely against the idea. It was dangerous, she said.

Indeed, it was dangerous. And indeed, Yosuke's plan was stupid, but I failed to care. We went inside, found that bear again, he took us to the place where he last sensed that girl.

It was similar to the shopping district... just like it, actually. Only darker and with a black and red sky. We were pointed towards the liquor store the girl worked at.

What did the bear mean by Shadows?

Monsters?!

I was gonna have to use that golf club for something? Would I have to fight to save myself?

That voice rang within my head again. A voice not my own, and that was usual, but I had no control of that voice. It was not my conscience. At least for a moment, before I obeyed its command to take its hand.

When I accepted that voice into my mind, I felt that voice becoming one with me.

And a card in my hand.

The monsters that were heading for Yosuke ignored him completely and turned towards me.

That voice had become my own, but it was weird... it was not one I could exactly put into words and shout them through my throat. I had to focus and shout within... and that effort, that focus caused me to call for something, using my actual voice.

Persona.

I crushed the card in my hand, a surge of energy came from me.

And I burst forth from myself.

I used my gigantic Naginata to quick dispose of the monsters. And it felt great.

At each slash I dealt I could hear whispers. Small cries. Unheard voices, prayers that maybe would never find their destination. As if someone's thoughts had been written, then burnt to ashes. And I could read the small pieces of paper that survived the flames and carried fragments of a sentence.

Shadows... what were they?

I knew that monster that I brought forth was me, but those monsters...

Were they other people?

Yosuke thanked me for saving his life and Teddie, the bear, took to calling me sensei. I didn't care about that, however. All I wanted to do was to keep braving those mysteries behind someone... those voices we heard when we were walking through the district and were coming from the liquor store. I wanted to hear more of them.

We entered the place. As the voices spoke, I felt something similar to when we entered that room with posters. It was all so close... so open.

Again, priceless.

Turned out, the girl Yosuke liked hated him. Getting to know someone better was a very good feeling, but finding out that someone was that ungrateful and deceived simply to hurt someone was not that great. I mean... well, I then had argument and knew what was wrong with them. Maybe I could even say I was above them, as much as I didn't like arrogance.

I guess it felt good to know, as well.

As for Yosuke, I couldn't say the same.

I tried to comfort him. We did, actually, me and Teddie. He took it pretty hard and was denying it with all his heart.

Maybe 75% of it. Deep down, he knew it was true. But maybe that was what hurt him the most?

Then another one of him showed up. Only with yellow eyes. Said that all he was doing was for himself, the girl's death was the perfect excuse to wander into that cool world where he could be a hero...

Was that what Yosuke really felt?

Teddie said that other him was a Shadow.

Then maybe that was really him.

I was closer to someone else!

Keeping myself from smiling was hard. I tried to tell him that it was okay, I was in no place to judge him for anything, but his denial was greater than that. As Teddie warned, the Shadow went berserk and turned into its true form.

So I brought myself out, again.

I'd save Yosuke from himself.

Or I'd have him face himself. Well... technically, both meant the same thing.

I put up a fight. All the while, me and Teddie tried to talk to the real Yosuke, have him open his eyes to the truth in front of him and have him know that it was okay. Eventually he got up from his knees and looked at himself dead in the eyes. The closer he got to accepting it, the more pain the monster seemed to be into.

Until I dealt it the final strike, reverting it to its human form.

When he fully accepted himself, he gained a card similar to mine and a version of himself, like mine, as well.

I was in awe.

I fought to protect someone, helped in their accepting of themselves, I got to know them better...

I'd helped.

I was ecstatic. I served the purpose I'd always wanted to an extent I never would have imagined I'd be able to. And I got closer to someone's truth. It was amazing beyond words...

We went back. Chie was worried to tears and of course, pissed off. We were tired and split to our houses.

I was physically tired, but my mind was going haywire. I think I had so much to think about, I couldn't dream. Or maybe I had so much else to remember, I forgot which dreams I had by the next day.

* * *

 **Just something random, which will be updated randomly. Review box below, even though I know it'll be left untouched, Raidou the 16th, not really sure if I approve this message. Later.**


	2. The More Of Me I See Reflect

As I look back at the beginning of my journey, it all seemed so bright...

Gathering my thoughts, I remember what it meant "to be right" for me.

I had everything I'd always longed for. I was fighting for not only a cause, but for those important to me.

I was following my principles.

I try to recall one time where I, the me locked not only inside the skull, but inside the brain... my conscience, shined through... and I fail.

I try to recall where I was during all that. I was busy, being the walking mirror that reflected how people wanted to see themselves.

What are your intentions? How can I help you? What advantage could my presence bring you?

Please, let me know you a bit better, so I can help you.

That was my concern.

For that, I needed to cast myself aside.

No matter what I felt about that person, nothing would change the way I acted towards them.

In the end, they would thank me, saying that I've done made such difference in their lives, it was amazing.

They said I must have been so realized and happy with myself that I was untouchable.

... That started to offend me as time went on.

How could they say that I was happy with myself, when all they'd seen of me... was them?

They'd come at me with their worries and I'd show them the 'self' they wanted to see.

Little did they know that I... my 'self' was slowly drifting away.

And much less did I know that my 'self' had drifted away long ago.

Even to this moment, I don't know what I would say to someone who asked me "What troubles you".

I never stopped to think about it. So let me take a moment to think about it.

I made it an obligation to see other people's sides of the story, to put them before myself.

Why? To make them like me?

But... why?

In the end, the ones that really got what they wanted were them.

I got nothing but recognition in return.

Recognition that I'd use for what, again...?

No one would ask how I felt. I must have been feeling great, being the indestructible, untouchable, invincible emblem of strength that I was, right?

What I really felt was that I was getting trapped inside of the many mirrors I'd set up in front of myself to make people feel better.

While I cut connection with all the mirrors I could look at myself into.

And as a human left in the dark for long enough would forget what they look like, I forgot what my 'self' was.

I had all those facades, but none of them was really me. Which makes me wonder.

How come I am a Wild Card when the Personas I wield are not a part of me?

Maybe it had to do with the 0: empty, but with infinite potential.

Empty...

An empty house of glass.

Myself.

Maybe.

Perhaps that was my power: to house within myself the selves of others.

I always thought the Wild Card drew a parallel to mankind's potential...

Did that I mean I was destined to cast myself aside forever?

Would I have to live without knowing myself?

This emptiness I was feeling would haunt me throughout my whole journey?

... Would that be worth it?

* * *

I woke up. Just woke up. Opened my eyes, but didn't move an inch.

That... that was a not dream.

It was a thought. Just a thought I had while asleep. At least I didn't recall any images.

That... was haunting.

An empty house of glass...

Myself...

No, that couldn't be it. I had a purpose. I didn't know what it was, but I would find it, somehow, at the end of the path I chose.

Hm...

The reward for the deeds I've done thus far were not the most noble, but I'd find the higher purpose... I'd deserve the right to consider myself 'good'...

I didn't hurt anyone... my secretly veiled arrogance only shone through in the form of questions along the lines of "may I help you"... I'd never be judged for that. No one would ever judge me for that.

I took my hand to my forehead... I was heavier than usual, that day.

Questions... they were always in my mind, but never once did they weigh me down as such.

Maybe it was because I was coming closer to my objective...

Who knows.

What I did know, was that I'd have to get ready for class.

...

...

I joined clubs. Soccer was fun. And look, more people to understand.

Yukiko was taken in for questioning and skipped a few classes. I could definitely see why she needed a break.

Not that Chie would give her one, what with the constant worrying and never ending calls.

She needed to chill. Yukiko was gonna be just fine.

...

Well, screw me, the police thought she was the killer and was laying low.

Worse than that, she was in the TV.

And even despairingly worse:

She was wearing her lacy unmentionables.

Sigh...

"Shut up, Yosuke," I told him through the phone. "We're gonna rescue her."

He agreed. Didn't take us long to prepare for the mission.

Mainly because Chie knew where to buy weapons. Fear increased by 1.

But never mind that, she was Hell bent on going along to save her friend. While I understood her position, I was really, really against the idea of her going in when she didn't have the same power as-

Aaaaand she ran straight ahead, alone into the castle.

Sigh, again.

Me and Yosuke killed our way to the first set of big doors. I still couldn't recover from all the small words the dying Shadows whispered into my ears. I swear, I couldn't keep myself from smiling, at times... which makes me think that I kinda might have looked like a psycho, smiling at the voices I heard in my head as I hacked away at tender flesh...

... Anyway.

When we opened them, we saw Chie there, looking up at nowhere. Not really at nowhere, but at someone whom her eyes couldn't see at that moment.

And there it was, that feeling again.

Yukiko's voice rang throughout the huge room, telling us about how she felt towards Chie and how she felt so worthless...

That... I could never guess.

To know that I'd never come in contact with that side of Yukiko, if it wasn't this gift I had.

I looked around, taking in the scenery: Pink veils stretched along the ceiling and fell down to the ground in decoration, making a not so subtle contrast with the red carpet and marble floors.

That was a princess' castle.

That was a princess' prison.

Was that how Yukiko felt? Was she imprisoned... no... dependent on others enough to make her think loneliness was her prison?

Chie surely didn't agree with her. She wanted to tell her that it was not at all as her disembodied voice described. Chie was much more dependent on Yukiko than vice versa.

But then the other her, her Shadow, appeared and said how she really felt.

And how much she thought Yukiko was right. She couldn't stand up on her own two feet, and Chie knew that. Knew so well, she took advantage of that, to upgrade her bland, many-of-a-kind self to the ruler and controller of the fate of the beautiful, unconquerable snow black. The perfect opportunity, no way she could let it pass.

I could try to explain my smile to you, but I can only think of an analogy.

Have I told you that I strongly dislike make-up?

Yeah, girls' make-up.

Because it's the most blatant, foolish lie they can tell without speaking a word. I felt like they never realized the true beauty that was in them... they didn't understand the beauty they had, so they had to plaster someone else's on their faces, only to let all that fall once someone got close enough. Not that I believed that letting the make-up fall was bad, but the fact that they acted as if their beauty was not valid was... egotistic, really.

Not sure if I made sense there.

In resume: that which I was witnessing at that moment, was beauty manifest.

Which was why I was smiling.

And also why Yosuke threw me a weird glance.

But I guess better judgement took him over, because Chie had just denied her Shadow, and that meant we had to fight. He understood that and we faced the Shadow.

...

Okay, Shadows were cool enough.

But did she need to hang me by the neck using her whip?

I almost died. Lucky me I had the Me... Izanagi, to save me.

Chie had to see that it was her before any casualties happened.

I told her it was okay, I had no right to judge her. Yosuke pitched in and said that neither did he.

Once we managed to convince her of that, her Shadow became vulnerable and we were able to put an end to that. She accepted her Shadow and gained a version of her that could fight.

Yup... saved the day, helped her out, she can now fight... we made a difference.

Again, priceless.

* * *

 **Well, here is another chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Also, thanks. As always, review box below, Raidou the 16th, I think I approve this message...? *thumbs up?* Anyawy, see you whatever I write next.**


	3. The More I Try To Read Your Lips

**Hey. Back with this. Disclaimers. Ho** **pe you enjoy the read.**

* * *

We got Chie out of the television so she could take a break. Yosuke also needed some rest, so we were all happy to be able to take our glasses off, again.

We each headed to our houses, very much worried about Yukiko. We had to believe she was gonna be fine... Teddie had explained how the fog worked, and the weather forecast said it wasn't going to rain for a while.

I got home, Nanako had done the laundry. Such responsible girl... Hell, even I'd forget the laundry in the machine, sometimes back at my actual house. Once I got my stomach full, I took a bath and headed up to my room, crashing on the futon almost instantly.

...

...

No...

...

...

No...

Stop...

...

...

Please, stop...

I can't...

Don't... DON'T!

...

I felt something on my hand.

"Aaaaagh!" I sat up, clutching my right hand tightly to my chest. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead, leaving a trail almost as gelid as the chill that ran down my spine.

Just because I sat up, it didn't mean my vision or breath had fully returned.

I didn't know if those were blood vessels, or anything else... it was impossible, now that I thought about it... my vision was still darkened, but as it slowly cleared, small, black branches... or something, surrounded my field of vision like a painting's frame... It took a while for them to go away.

"Hey... you okay?" A voice startled me, once more. I took a second or two to recover from the jump and recognize that voice as Nanako's. "You scared me..."

"Oh... I'm sorry. That won't happen again." I told her. "Sorry to have woken you up."

"It's alright... well, goodnight." She said, and it sounded like she was heading back downstairs to her room.

And that was the cue for my vision to return to normal. All that remained was the hyperventilation.

Huh... all those times people told me that happened, I didn't wake up during the... rush? I didn't fully know how that worked.

I was told once or twice I had something called Night Terror, which usually happened when I was tired out of my mind. Generally, I'd scream at the top of my lungs during my dreams, and then simply go back to sleeping.

But that was funny...

I don't think I dreamed, at all, that night.

Hm...

Regardless, I had to keep calm and breath, or else I was gonna panic and do something stupid.

I looked towards the window. It still seemed to be dark. What time was it...?

3 in the morning. Splendid.

With a deep breath, I shook my head. I didn't think I was going to be able to sleep again...

I got up and paced about in the room for a while, thinking of the things I needed to do.

Until I began drawing blanks, and jumbling up thoughts, and...

With a sigh, I crash landed on the couch and ran both hands down my face, before closing my eyes.

What Hell was I doing?

How did I get there?

I shut my eyes close and rubbed my eyelids, trying to get those thoughts away.

When I thought I succeeded, I opened my eyes.

...

Those branches were back again.

Now they seemed a bit more like claws, though... No... I don't know.

I looked around, and they wouldn't go away, until my eyes met the screen of the television in my room.

... Which was turned on.

... I didn't turn it on. And it sure as hell wasn't midnight.

So... why?

It was a clear picture of Amagi... struggling against someone. It didn't seem like it was in that castle... rather, it must have been near the inn.

Her mouth was muffled by a gloved hand, and then...

She vanished.

... What?

What the Hell did that mean?

Beep.

"Come on, pick up the phone... Yosuke! The Midnight Channel came on...! No, I mean just now! Yeah, three and something in the morning. Dude, ple-... Yeah, sorry... Sorry, okay? This might mean something, I just don't know what. Just keep an eye out for that, we're gonna save her. Okay, sorry, again. Later."

Beep.

Sigh...

... Oh, look. Just now I noticed those black things disappeared from my vision.

I looked around. What could I do? I didn't think I'd be able to sleep that night...

I decided to turn the lights on and grab a book to read. My eyes passed over the words, but I couldn't register anything. I was still trying to swallow what I had seen.

And trust me when I said it almost choked on that absurdity.

In the end, my head weighed to the side and I drifted away.

...

...

Hrng... what time was i-

Oh, shit.

I shot up and got ready to leave. It was already far too late to do anything else.

Practically running the entire way, I was lucky I managed to get into class in time.

During lunch break, we confirmed that Chie was okay and that she was ready and fired up. We agreed to go save Yukiko after school.

Classes went right over my head, I couldn't pay attention to anything.

Chie commented on the dark rings under my eyes and I told her not to worry.

We went into the TV world and headed straight to Yukiko's castle, with Teddie by our side.

Without dwelling much on the entrance, we headed back in.

And the whispers began again as we stormed through the shadows in the castle. Yosuke once again picked my smiles and smirks and gave me doubting glances. Chie was entirely focused on the climb, so she didn't notice me.

...

What the Hell?

How did we get to this door?

"Yosuke, how did we get here?" I asked. We had just passed by a locked door and walked forward, and then everything just...

What?!

"Hell if I know!" The brunette answered, more annoyed than me.

We heard Yukiko's chuckle from nowhere.

Goddammit...

Chie stomped her feet on the ground out of rage. She didn't even turn to look at us as she turned around and kicked the door behind us.

... Which was probably a terrible idea.

There was a huge knight... armor riding a ghost horse there.

"Dammit, Chie!" Yosuke exclaimed as all of us took a few steps back as the knight noticed us.

Everyone just downright panicked in their own way.

Chie, determined, charged for him.

Yosuke was trying to stop her from her impending doom.

"Zio!" I shouted with a cracked voice as I shattered my card, and I burst forth from myself once more to make a bolt of lightning come down on it. I knew it wouldn't do much, but...

Why did it fall to the ground?

I was so instantly petrified by the result of my attack, that my expression didn't even drop. Only my eyes widened as the two of them looked at me, stupefied.

... What, don't look at me! "Attack, dammit!" I said, as even I brandished my sword and ran forward. They accompanied me and beat that thing down, until it became mad and lifted its mask, which its body tried to follow.

And by follow, I mean it rose with a horizontal swipe of its joust spear meant to swat all of us.

I ducked.

Yosuke jumped back, quickly as he could. More like threw himself back, as he landed flat on his ass. Seemed to be what he intended to do, though.

Chie took the blunt hit straight to her stomach and was sent skidding back to the ground with a yell of pain.

"Chie!" Both me and Yosuke shouted for her. I believe Teddie would have yelled, too, if he was nearby.

I didn't even waste time after that. I called myself upon again and summoned another bolt upon that damned knight.

It fell again.

I rushed forward and didn't even pay attention to Yosuke as I raised my sword and brought it down not on it, but on the mask that symbolized its face. I beat it down, and its whole body seemed to convulse as the face cracked, until I stomped it down and the mask broke.

The whole creature seemed to fall apart, and it steadily became black and melted into ooze.

And again, it whispered into my ear.

Rather, it blared.

But I say that it whispered because no one else heard it.

My head reeled back a bit from the sudden scream and my head hurt a bit, but I was fine.

That was not what Yosuke thought, though, as he looked at me weird. He was busy with Chie, however, and paid more mind to her.

... What was that I felt...?

I looked at my hand.

Oh, another card. Did that mean I could summon another me?

I crushed it, and the card's figure came to life. A small snowman with a blue hat.

Neat.

Teddie finally showed his furry face after staying so far behind all of us. I wondered how afraid he was of it all. Regardless, he stared in awe at the little snowman.

"I'm fine, I can keep going," Chie said.

Like Hell, she could.

It seemed like even the bear agreed with me.

Yosuke just shook his head at her before taking a few steps back. "Stand still..." He said and readied his knife, before summoning his other self.

What was it doing...? Healing her?

Huh...

That wasn't going to end well, was it?

Chie hopped on her feet, but her face showed she was far from a hundred percent. "Let's go!" She said. Yukiko was the only thing in her mind, she was literally all about that...

Sigh...

Sure. I'd say why not, if there weren't any reasons why not. But there were, so I kept quiet.

And I kept going on and on in my head about that stupid thought so I could forget how stupid this was and in how much risk we were.

It worked very well, and we reached the 8th floor, which had only a single, big door.

"This is it, guys. We're going in, right?" Chie took the front and turned towards me and Yosuke.

I was really, really against it.

But the two seemed to be on board, so... democracy won, I guessed.

I couldn't wait to see how we were going to get killed...

And funny how Teddie always stayed so far behind. I was gonna pin the blame on him.

...

* * *

 **So, another chapter of this random fic. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Questions, opinions and critics in the review box below, I'm Raidou the 16th and I approve this message. Before I go away, here are some recommendations:**

 **Persona 3: Alone In This World, by Changling96. Good read, if you like horror and hopeless situations.**

 **Persona 3 Bloodlust and Fallen Messiah, by Nightly 7. Both of them are on fire right now, so I probably don't even need to go tell you to read those.**

 **What am I saying... not like an ad in any fic of mine will help much, but... just to put this out there. See you whatever I write next.**


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